Iraqi Shi'ite Militia Battles Italian Troops (Nassiriya)

Iraqi Shi'ite Militia Battles Italian Troops
Tue Apr 6, 2004 01:23 AM ET

NASSIRIYA, Iraq (Reuters) - Radical Shi'ite militiamen fought gun battles with Italian troops in the southern town of Nassiriya on Tuesday and two civilians were killed, witnesses said.

They said fighting had erupted at about 4 a.m. (0000 GMT) and continued into the morning. Four Italian military vehicles had been burned in the clashes in the Zeitoun district.

Militiamen loyal to fiery cleric Moqtada al-Sadr were still controlling the streets in the area, near the local headquarters of Iraq's Coalition Provisional Authority.

The witnesses said two civilians had been killed and four wounded in crossfire. Two members of Sadr's Mehdi Army militia were also wounded. There was no immediate word on Italian casualties.

REUTERS

Whoa. What a mess. These militia guys are really ....what's the word?
incredibly fierce? tenacious? tough?

This is just going to get worse and worse....

as the Great Arab Revolt of 2004... mark my words

in the ME into this war. This could really escalate.....and retalitory attacks may not come in Iraq, either.

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In Iraq.

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0%2C5478%2C6438010%255E1702%2C00.html

is solved..

They took off their uniforms, left their vehicles and blended into the crowd...to wait until the time was "right".. I guess the time has come :(

Unless the Mehdi militia just likes to go around burning trucks.

I feel for the Italians, as we all feel for our own loss in this ridiculously misguided, unnecessary war.

It is shameful anytime that men, women and children die for a lie.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040406/wl_mideast_afp/iraq_italy_clashes&cid=1514&ncid=1480

Update at 6:00AM EST....

ROME (AFP) - Around 15 Iraqis were killed in fighting with Italian forces in the southern Iraqi town of Nasiriyah.

The Italian news agency Ansa, quoting a spokesman for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq (news - web sites), reported that 12 Italian soldiers were also lightly injured in the clashes, which occurred as the forces of the US-led coalition acted to take control of bridges in the city from demonstrators loyal to the radical Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr.


Shiite sources in Iraq had earlier confirmed that Sadr supporters had fought Italian members of the US-led occupying forces in Nasiriyah, but they gave no reports of casualties.

The 15 dead on the Iraqi side are because of the healthcare situation

It sounds like a broken fingernail or a paper cut. I imagine the reality is a lot different. Also, 15 dead vs. 12 lightly injured seems a bit unlikely, although irregular militia tactics against regular military could explain the discrepancy. Still, the 'science' of body counts, especially those relayed to the media, is not a reliable one.

was going to be a really bad day for everyone in Iraq.

We must bring our troops home NOW!